


A Midnight Escapade

by forksalesperson



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst and Feels, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 00:23:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20479916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forksalesperson/pseuds/forksalesperson
Summary: After the events of season three, Adora dreams of Catra and goes off to process all that shes currently feeling.





	A Midnight Escapade

"Adora."

Her eyes flung open, a cold sweat dripping down her face as Catra's haunting laugh faded from her mind. She took a deep breath and held it, closing her eyes again.

Adora flipped her covers off and swung her legs over the edge of her bed, letting out a sharp sigh. She clenched her jaw, remembering that blissful dream world she'd been thrust into only last week. A world where everything was normal, where nothing had changed and princesses were something to fear. Where Catra-

Her eyes stung and her eyebrows came together, an angry grimace on her face. She shot up from the bed, her hands clenched into fists. She quietly made her way to her closet, throwing on her usual long sleeved outfit, but as she touched her red jacket her hand hesitated. She reached out in her mind for Swift Wind, turning around to walk out on her balcony, and grabbed her sword. The clack of hooves approached her as he landed.

"A midnight escapade? What are we after this time?..." Swift Wind trailed off. A wave of concern crossed his face as he silently turned to let her on his back.

She stayed silent as he took off, the wind whipping through her hair, pulling small strands out of her loose ponytail. She closed her eyes and held onto his mane, taking deep breaths of the cool night air.

Swift Wind looked back toward her frequently as they sailed into the cold night sky. Her expression was blank as she stared at the back of his neck, only sometimes letting her eyes drift toward the ground.

"Are we going anywhere in particular?" He questioned, watching as his voice seemed to bring her back to the present.

"Just drop me off by the forest."

"Alright."

He angled his wings downward, letting the wind carry them toward the treeline. As soon as they landed she jumped off, sword in hand.

"You can go." She said curtly with her back turned.

He hesitated.

"Please." Her shoulders tensed.

"I'll be back in two hours, Adora." He stated, turning from her. She waited until she could no longer hear his wings in the distance.

She immediately fell to the ground, her body shaking with the effort it had taken simply to stand. She grabbed two fistfuls of grass and shouted into the ground, her anguished cry punctuated by the rapid fluttering of wings as birds startled from the treetops.

She stood slowly, a surge of emotion ripping through as she took off. Small branches scratched her face as she nimbly avoided tree roots and swung over pits in the ground. She kept her mind from wandering, mumbling Horde drills ingrained in her since childhood. She pictured the faces of Horde soldiers on nearby trees and carved into them with her sword, jumping away and slicing through the thick underbrush as she ran.

Her eyes stung as the wind hit her face, and her breathing was fast and pained, but she kept running, sword in hand, shouting as she hit imagined soldiers and ripped through hanging vines.

She ran up to the thick trunk of a large tree, jabbed her sword straight through, and yanked it back out. She flinched, spotting some movement in a tree a couple feet away.

Catra taunted her from afar, her tail curling back and forth as she sat perched on a low branch, the shadows almost completely concealing her.

Adora sprinted forward, a rush of adrenaline pumping through her veins as she scrambled up to catch her. She swung one handed from a nearby limb and landed opposite to where Catra sat.

Adora whirled around to face her, one hand holding the sword ahead of her, and another leaning on the trunk for balance. Her lungs burned as her expression turned dark.

"Ca-" She cut short, her eyes widening as she saw a large nest, the foliage arranged in such a way to mimic Catra's usually unruly hair. A long vine curled around a branch overhead, resembling her tail as it bent in the wind.

The blood pumping in her ears was soon all she could hear as her rage consumed her. She clumsily yanked the vine from the tree and threw it to the ground, causing a nearby family of squirrels to scatter. She cursed, her heart dropping in her chest as she leapt from the tree back onto the ground.

Her back hit the trunk with a thud as exhaustion took over. She wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, leaving streaks of grime behind.

Hot tears gathered at her chin, her jaw clenched painfully tight, mind blank as she stared at the forest floor.

She listened intently to her labored breathing, feeling the hard bark of the tree dig into her back with every inhale. She clutched her knees close to her chest, letting her head rest on top of them.

She let the tears dry on her face, wondering why after she'd seen for herself what Catra could do, after what Catra had done to destroy everything she loved, after Catra had betrayed her and kidnapped her friends, after she'd tried to kill her, why she felt even an ounce of anything for her.

Catra didn’t deserve her tears. She didn't deserve to take anything more from her. Adora had nothing left to give.

She angrily wiped fresh tears away as they fell faster than before. She grit her teeth but a sob managed to escape her lips, and it was over. Her body shook violently as she wailed, her voice echoing through the trees. Her fingernails dug into her arms as she curled up tighter, pulling her knees even closer to soothe the ache she felt in her stomach.

She put her head down to muffle her sobs, the hot air from her breath hit her face as she cried into her arms. Her back ached, her throat was sore and yet the emptiness she felt never left.

She tried to calm herself, but to no avail. She only shook more forcefully as she wailed into the quiet forest. She was frightened it would never end. Her breathing became more frantic and she couldn’t stop her voice from shaking. She rocked back and forth on the ground, waiting for whatever this was to pass.

\----

After a long time she quieted down, her ragged breathing slowly becoming normal again. She lifted her head, letting the cool wind blow on her face as the last few tears escaped her eyes.

And her mind was blank again. She leaned back onto the trunk behind her, weary and void of any emotion. She closed her eyes and began to drift off.

Her head fell forward suddenly but was caught by something warm. Adora's eyes snapped open and she took a sharp breath, only to realize Swift Wind had found her. He laid his head on her lap so that she could rest her eyes for a moment longer.

She slid her hand along his warm coat, running her fingers through his mane. He sighed in contentment.

"H- How long have you been here?" She croaked, her voice hoarse.

"I never really left, if I'm being honest." He muttered. "A steed's gotta watch out for his partner."

"You ready to head back yet, Adora? I'm not too fond of sleeping in this creepy forest for much longer." His yawn punctuated his own exhaustion.

"Yeah." She paused, petting his mane again. "Thanks, Swift Wind." She smiled weakly.

"Hop on." He said, turning to make it easier for her to climb onto his back.

He spread his wings and took off, the ride back much different than the one before. Adora sat forward with her head rested on his neck, petting him occasionally as they watched the sun rise.

Glimmer and Bow would worry if they were gone for too much longer. The thought of seeing her friends would have brought her to tears if she had any left. She smiled softly, thinking of how much had changed since they'd met.

She wouldn't give that up for the world, and with the security of them, she thought she just might be be okay. She could finally let go.

This was going to be the last time she cried over Catra. This would be the last thing she gave to her.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first She-ra fic, and the first thing I've posted here I guess. Hope you enjoy! There's probably more to come? 
> 
> Anyway thanks for reading this lil angsty mess of words lol. Sorry I also have no idea how tags work??? shdjdsjdhjddb. And it won't let me tag current Swift Wind like excuse u he is also a valid character smh. 
> 
> THANKS FOR HELPING ME EDIT THIS WOPPY U A REAL ONE


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